Americans United - Jerry Falwell Jrhttps://au.org/resources/religious-right/jerry-falwell-jr
Jerry Falwell Jr., son of the famous TV preacher, Falwell Jr. now serves as chancellor of Liberty University. Falwell mimics his father’s extreme views and hews to extremely conservative positions on social issues. He is also highly partisan. He used Liberty University materials to endorse Mike Huckabee for president in 2008, sparking an Americans United complaint to the IRS.
In 2009, Falwell banned a student-run Democratic club from Liberty until pressure from the media and outside groups forced him to relent. Under Falwell Jr., the Falwell empire has become even more aggressive in attacking church-state separation, joining forces with a Religious Right legal group called Liberty Counsel.
enEvangelical Angst?: Religious Right Leaders Continue Embrace Of Trump – But Not Everyone Is On Board https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/evangelical-angst-religious-right-leaders-continue-embrace-of-trump-but-not
<a href="/about/people/ms-sarah-e-jones">Sarah E. Jones</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>At a meeting with evangelical leaders yesterday, Donald Trump promised to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/06/20/how-can-trump-win-the-many-undecided-evangelicals-we-asked-them/">abolish restrictions on church politicking</a> if elected president.</p>
<p>“I think maybe that will be my greatest contribution to Christianity – and other religions – is to allow you, when you talk religious liberty, to go and speak openly, and if you like somebody or want somebody to represent you, you should have the right to do it,” he said, as reported by <em>The Washington Post</em>.</p>
<p>Trump also promised to appoint anti-abortion justices to the U.S. Supreme Court and would ensure that department store employees are required to say “Merry Christmas” during the holiday season.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/trump.face.jpg" style="width: 700px; height: 700px;" /><br /><br /><em>Trump: Making further inroads with the Religious Right.</em></p>
<p>Roughly 1,000 evangelical leaders attended the event, which the Trump campaign organized in a bid to shore up religious support for the candidate. Trump also announced the formation of an Evangelical Advisory Board at the meeting, and its members include some Religious Right figures who’d previously criticized the candidate for his impiety. Others have checkered pasts that could trouble voters.</p>
<p>Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, is one of Trump’s new advisors, and he praised the candidate yesterday for his commitment to the Religious Right’s values.<br /><br />
“I certainly liked what I saw today,” <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/donald-trump-evangelicals-christians-224635">Dobson told <em>Politico</em></a>. But that’s a significant shift for Dobson: In December, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/12/10/evangelical-leaders-are-frantically-looking-for-ways-to-defeat-donald-trump/">he told <em>The</em> <em>Post</em></a> that he is “very wary” of Trump, specifically due to the mogul’s casino properties.</p>
<p>“I don’t believe Trump is really conservative,” he opined at the time.<br /><br />
It’s not clear why Dobson changed his mind. But he may have been persuaded by the star power Trump managed to recruit. Dobson joins former U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., former Southern Baptist Convention official Richard Land and a number of televangelists, including Paula White, David Jeremiah and Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, as an advisor to the Trump campaign.<br /><br />
White and the Copelands, of course, <a href="http://religiondispatches.org/grassley-staff-memo-on-televangelists-makes-clear-religious-right-opposition-to-government-oversight/">share the dubious distinction</a> of being among the few televangelists ever investigated for potentially violating their ministries’ tax-exempt status. That investigation was launched, and subsequently quashed, by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) after outcry from the Religious Right. Their presences on Trump’s advisory board suggest they may be the source of Trump’s sudden interest in loosening certain IRS restrictions for churches.<br /><br />
Land, too, is a strange choice, especially if Trump hopes to win minority voters. Land stepped down from his role as the head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission in 2012 after he claimed that a black man is “statistically more likely to do you harm than a white man.” As Aaron Weaver <a href="http://religiondispatches.org/richard-land-steps-down-but-not-out-of-the-culture-wars/">reported for Religion Dispatches</a> at the time, Land had no black employees.<br /><br />
But Land has also long promoted a political marriage between the Religious Right and the Republican party. “The go-along, get-along strategy is dead,” Land once said. “No more engagement. We want a wedding ring, we want a ceremony, we want a consummation of marriage.”</p>
<p>It appears that Trump proposed, and Richard Land accepted.<br /><br />
Though Trump’s overtures satisfied Land and many of his peers, other evangelicals and conservative Christian leaders still object to the candidate. <a href="https://mereorthodoxy.com/evangelical-capitulation-exclusive-documents-meeting-trump/">In a post for Mere Orthodoxy,</a> Matthew Lee Anderson derided yesterday’s meeting as a “campaign rally” and noted that the campaign handed out “prayer guides” to participants.</p>
<p>“The documents provide a bit of insight into the mindset of the organizers of the conference. They are mostly benign, and intentionally aim to be neutral,” Anderson wrote. “But they are generally oriented toward overcoming any internal objections or hesitations or sense of ‘judgment’ about others and the candidate.”</p>
<p>Land’s successor, Russell Moore, also reiterated his objection to Trump on Twitter yesterday. “If you wondered why younger, theological, gospel-centered evangelicals reacted [negatively] to the old guard Religious Right, well, now you know,” he tweeted.</p>
<p>That old guard clearly believes their old alliance with the Republican Party still holds; that Trump, if elected, will assist their campaign to redefine the First Amendment. Their younger allies, however, may be souring on the arrangement.</p>
<p>P.S. Remember, Americans United is sponsoring a petition urging the IRS to crackdown on unlawful pulpit politicking. You can sign it <a href="http://projectfairplay.squarespace.com/petition">here</a>. </p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-groups-involvement-in-candidate-elections">Religious Groups’ Involvement in Candidate Elections</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/russell-moore">Russell Moore</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michelle-bachmann">Michelle Bachmann</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/2016-presidential-election">2016 Presidential Election</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/church-politicking">church politicking</a></span></div></div>Wed, 22 Jun 2016 16:22:30 +0000Ms. Sarah E. Jones12029 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/evangelical-angst-religious-right-leaders-continue-embrace-of-trump-but-not#commentsLiberty University Ads Help Candidate Gingrich Before Iowa Caucus Votehttps://au.org/church-state/february-2012/people-events/liberty-university-ads-help
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p align="left">Liberty University ran television ads featuring Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich just days before the Iowa caucuses, a move widely interpreted as an effort to boost his candidacy.</p><p align="left">The ads showed Gingrich extolling the virtues of Liberty University. They began airing immediately before the state’s Jan. 3 presidential caucuses.</p><p align="left">Gingrich’s rollercoaster campaign has been short on cash. The Caucus Blog of <em>The New York Times</em> reported that with funds running low, Gingrich’s “well-financed allies are coming to his rescue in Iowa, securing large chunks of airtime across the state.”</p><p align="left">The newspaper noted that the video does not explicitly endorse Gingrich as the Republican nominee, but <em>The Times</em> questioned whether the non-profit tax-exempt school’s intervention violates federal tax law, which prohibits campaign activities on behalf of any candidate.</p><p align="left">Liberty University officials denied any political intent. The school issued a statement saying the ad “was filmed October 27, 2010 and has been running since that time in various markets. Liberty University has a rotation of ads in its national advertising campaign and it adjusts the mix from time to time.”</p><p align="left">According to Liberty officials, it was just a coincidence that the Gingrich ads began airing in Iowa right before the caucuses.</p><p align="left">Liberty Law School Dean Mat Staver told the Lynchburg <em>News &amp; Advance</em> that “of course, the university does not endorse candidates.”</p><p align="left">Staver said, “The ad is not designed to endorse Newt or anyone else.…We’re not speaking about his positions. We’re not comparing him to another candidate. We’re not promoting his election.”</p><p align="left">But Gingrich has been a favorite of the Liberty crowd for some time. In October of 2010, Gingrich traveled to Lynchburg and met with Liberty Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. and other Religious Right leaders. Falwell later lauded the former House speaker, saying he would make a “wonderful president” and describing him as “exactly what the nation needs at this point in history.”</p><p align="left">According to the <em>News &amp; Advance</em>, the commercial featured Gingrich praising Liberty as “one of the preeminent forums to discuss profound issues.”</p><p align="left">Gingrich says, “It’s the kind of school where somebody who cares about America’s future can learn all the key principles of law, both for their own personal life and their own personal profession, but also as a citizen to be more effective in helping their country.”</p><p align="left">In the ad, images of Gingrich at the school flash across the screen, including one of him shaking hands with Falwell in 2007 when the former House speaker delivered Liberty’s commencement address.</p><p align="left">Americans United noted that Falwell has a history of using Liberty for political purposes. In December of 2007, he issued an e-mail bulletin on university letterhead endorsing Mike Huckabee for president. In December of 2010, university officials used the student newspaper and other publications to promote a Republican candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates. Both incidents led Americans United to file complaints with the Internal Revenue Service.</p><p align="left">Americans United Director of Communications Joe Conn blasted the latest Falwell maneuver.</p><p align="left">“It’s clear this was an attempt to support Gingrich and get people to vote for him.… Chancellor Falwell is playing fast and loose with federal tax law,” Conn told the <em>News &amp; Advance</em>.</p><p align="left">The younger Falwell appears to be following in his father’s footsteps. The late Jerry Falwell Sr.’s “Old Time Gospel Hour” lost its tax-exempt status retroactively for the years 1986 and 1987 after a four-year IRS audit determined that the ministry had diverted money to a political action committee. The ministry also agreed to pay the IRS $50,000 for those years.</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">People &amp; Events</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-groups-involvement-in-candidate-elections">Religious Groups’ Involvement in Candidate Elections</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-issues-regarding-churches-and-politics">Other Issues regarding Churches and Politics</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-6685" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
<header>
<div class="image">
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="https://au.org/files/styles/cs_cover_thumbnail/public/Feb%2012%20web%20cover%20large.jpg?itok=u9tu-MKI" width="75" height="97" alt="" /></div></div></div> </div>
<h2><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">February</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2012</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
</a></h2>
<span class="read-more">
<a href="/church-state">Browse previous issues &raquo;</a>
</span>
</header>
<div class="content">
<div class="frontpage-block frontpage-view-church-state-articles-featured-articles" >
<h3>Featured Articles</h3>
<div class="content">
<div class="view view-church-state-articles view-id-church_state_articles view-display-id-featured_articles view-dom-id-5fda98d22cd49345385893abafac335e">
<div class="view-content">
<div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/featured/the-bishops-obama-and-religious">The Bishops, Obama and Religious Freedom</a></h3>
<h4>The Catholic Hierarchy’s Bold New Church-State Lobbying Blitz – And How It Might Affect Your Rights</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/featured/creationism-crusade">Creationism Crusade</a></h3>
<h4>Misguided State Lawmakers, School Officials Launch Attacks On Evolution Instruction In Public School Science Classes</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/featured/successful-operation">Successful Operation</a></h3>
<h4>Catholic Control Of Public University Hospital In Kentucky Derailed After Church-State Protests</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even views-row-last">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/featured/amendment-anxiety">Amendment Anxiety</a></h3>
<h4>Florida Court Rewrites Deceptive Church-State Initiative, But Radical Proposal Still Headed For November Ballot</h4> </div>
</div>
</div> </div>
</div><div class="lower clearfix"><div class="frontpage-block frontpage-view-church-state-articles-all-articles" >
<div class="content">
<div class="view view-church-state-articles view-id-church_state_articles view-display-id-all_articles view-dom-id-06fb3da72d1a3a84aea2504175e7ffb9">
<div class="view-content">
<div class="cs-department" id="section-editorial"> <h3>Editorial</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/editorial/obama-%E2%80%98war-on-religion%E2%80%99-is">Obama ‘War On Religion’ Is Figment Of Religious Conservatives’ Imagination </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/editorial/buncombe-and-the-bible">Buncombe And The Bible</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-perspective"> <h3>Perspective</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/perspective/from-c-span-to-salon-sanctuary">From C-SPAN To Salon Sanctuary</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-people--events"> <h3>People &amp; Events</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/people-events/rep-jones-introduces-church">Rep. Jones Introduces Church Electioneering Bill In U.S. House</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/people-events/religious-right-groups-remain">Religious Right Groups Remain Divided Over GOP Presidential Field</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/people-events/au-allied-clergy-advocate-for">AU-Allied Clergy Advocate For Church-State Separation In N.C. And Va. Newspapers</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/people-events/school-voucher-plan-fails-to">School Voucher Plan Fails To Win Support In Pennsylvania House</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/people-events/jefferson-bible-restored-as">Jefferson Bible Restored, As Smithsonian Offers Readers A New Printing </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/people-events/new-book-celebrates-baptist">New Book Celebrates Baptist Religious Liberty Advocate James Dunn</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/people-events/members-of-congress-gripe">Members Of Congress Gripe About Ban On Holiday Mailings</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012/people-events/liberty-university-ads-help">Liberty University Ads Help Candidate Gingrich Before Iowa Caucus Vote</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-9 views-row-odd views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/people-events/international-religious">International Religious Freedom Panel Given New Life By Congress</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-au-bulletin"> <h3>AU Bulletin</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/supreme-court-rules-for-broad-">Supreme Court Rules For Broad ‘Ministerial Exception’ </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/house-panel-wants-fdr-prayer-at">House Panel Wants FDR Prayer At WWII Memorial</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/ga-religious-student-can%E2%80%99t">Ga. Religious Student Can’t Flout Ethics Rules </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/louisiana-expects-major-battle">Louisiana Expects Major Battle Over School Vouchers</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/texas-approves-%E2%80%98one-state-under">Texas Approves ‘One State Under God’ Car Tags</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/delaware-governor-plans-%E2%80%98faith">Delaware Governor Plans ‘Faith-Based’ Outreach</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/hungary-approves-new-limits-on">Hungary Approves New Limits On Religions</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/un-resolution-on-religious">UN Resolution On Religious Freedom Draws Praise</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div> </div>
</div> </div>
</div></div> </div> <!-- /.content -->
<footer>
<ul class="links inline"><li class="comment_forbidden first last"></li>
</ul> <!-- AddThis Button BEGIN -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
<a class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_tweet"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:size="medium"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_pill_style"></a>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#pubid=americansunited"></script>
<!-- AddThis Button END -->
</footer>
</article> <!-- /.node -->
</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix long-label"><div class="field-label">Religious Right Organization:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/liberty-university">Liberty University</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix long-label"><div class="field-label">Religious Right People:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/jerry-falwell">Jerry Falwell</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/jerry-falwell-jr">Jerry Falwell Jr</a></span></div></div>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:23:53 +0000Susan Hansen6696 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/february-2012/people-events/liberty-university-ads-help#commentsLiberty University ads in Iowa featured Gingrichhttps://au.org/media/in-the-news/liberty-university-ads-in-iowa-featured-gingrich
<div class="field field-name-field-news-source field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Lynchburg News &amp; Advance</div></div></div>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:01:53 +0000Joseph L. Conn6523 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/media/in-the-news/liberty-university-ads-in-iowa-featured-gingrich#commentsThe Billionaire Boys Clubhttps://au.org/church-state/may-2011-church-state/featured/the-billionaire-boys-club
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The Religious Right in America is lavishly funded and politically well connected. While the men who lead the fundamentalist Christian political movement hold different opinions about theology, they share a deep and abiding hostility to the separation of church and state. They seek to inject religion into public schools, obtain taxpayer funding for religious schools and other ministries, roll back reproductive choice and deny civil rights to gay people. And they enjoy extraordinary influence in Washington, D.C., and in many state legislatures. <br /><br />What follows is a survey of some of the nation’s leading Religious Right organizations. Collectively, these groups raise more than three-quarters of a billion dollars annually, the bulk of it tax-exempt. Budget figures are from public tax documents and are the most recent available, in most cases from 2009 and 2010.<br /><br /><strong>The Pat Robertson Empire</strong><br /><br /><strong>Christian Broadcasting Network</strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $295,140,001<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Virginia Beach, Va.<br /><br /><strong>Regent University</strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $60,093,298<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Virginia Beach, Va.<br /><br /><strong>American Center for Law and Justice:</strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $13,375,429<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Virginia Beach, Va.<br /><br /><strong>Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism</strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $43,872,322<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Atlanta, Ga.<br /><br />TV preacher Pat Robertson has for many years overseen a sprawling Religious Right empire that includes a global television network, a university and an influential right-wing legal outfit. Robertson’s flagship operation, “The 700 Club,” is a daily television program that mixes news, faith healing, Christian lifestyle features and Religious Right politics. He calls church-state separation a “myth” and a “lie of the left.” Despite his extreme views, Robertson remains well connected with the GOP power structure in Washington, and congressional leaders and presidential candidates often appear on his show. House Speaker John Boehner, for example, gave an exclusive interview in February.<br /><br />Religious Right attorney Jay Sekulow runs the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), a legal group founded by Robertson in 1991. Sekulow’s Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, the ACLJ under a different name, serves a similar purpose. The combined annual budget for both entities exceeds $55 million.<br /><br />Regent University was originally founded to offer graduate degrees in areas Robertson most wants to dominate: government, education, law, communications, psychology and ministry. It now offers undergraduate degrees as well (many of them online) and has a satellite campus in Alexandria, Va., a Washington, D.C., suburb. <br /><br /><strong>The Falwell Empire</strong><br /><br /><strong>Liberty University</strong><br /><strong>Budget: </strong>$395,898,255<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Lynchburg, Va.<br /><br /><strong>Jerry Falwell Ministries</strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $4,208,989<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Lynchburg, Va.<br /><br /><strong>Liberty Counsel </strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $1,371,795<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Orlando, Fla., and Lynchburg, Va.<br /><br />The late Jerry Falwell, a television evangelist and founder of the Moral Majority, was a pivotal figure in the history of the Religious Right. Falwell died in 2007 and left his religio-political empire in the hands of his two sons, Jerry Jr. and Jonathan. Falwell Jr., who serves as chancellor of Liberty University, has followed in his father’s footsteps by advancing a partisan political agenda. In December of 2007, Falwell issued an e-mail on university letterhead endorsing Mike Huckabee for president. In 2009, he used university resources to engineer the defeat of the Democratic member of the House of Delegates who represented the Lynchburg area. <br /><br />In April of this year, Liberty hosted “The Awakening,” a conference that featured former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), alongside Religious Right activists.<br /><br />Liberty has experienced huge growth and now has an active online learning component. Despite Falwell’s anti-government rhetoric, Liberty students receive nearly half a billion dollars in federal aid every year. <br /><br />Jonathan Falwell serves as pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church and oversees the remnants of his father’s TV ministry. <br /><br />Liberty Counsel is a Religious Right legal group originally founded by Mat Staver and based in Orlando, Fla. It is now a part of the Falwell enterprise and operates in conjunction with the Liberty University Law School, where Staver is dean.<br /><br /><strong>Family Research Council/FRC Action/FRC Action PAC</strong><br /><strong>Combined Budget:</strong> $14,569,081<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Washington, D.C.<br /><br />The Family Research Council has become the nation’s top Religious Right group in Washington, D.C. Led by former Louisiana state representative Tony Perkins, the FRC seeks to merge fundamentalist Christianity with government. It opposes individual reproductive freedom, engages in gay bashing and lately has sought to join forces with the Tea Party to create a massive, far-right phalanx. <br /><br />The FRC is so extreme that this year it was designated a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. <br /><br />Perkins has a checkered political past. In 1996, while managing the U.S. Senate campaign of Louisiana state legislator Woody Jenkins, he paid former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard and notorious white supremacist David Duke $82,000 for his mailing list. In 2001, Perkins addressed the Louisiana chapter of the Council of Conservative Citizens, a white supremacist organization that grew out of the White Citizens Council. <br /><br />Despite FRC’s unsavory reputation, the group sponsors an annual “Values Voter Summit” that draws leading GOP congressional figures and presidential hopefuls.<br /><br />FRC maintains an “action” arm with a 501(c)(4) tax status that enables it to be more directly political. It also funnels money to candidates through a political action committee.<br /><br /><strong>American Family Association </strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $21,408,342<br /><strong>Location: </strong>Tupelo, Miss.<br /><br />Originally formed to advocate for censorship of racy TV shows, the American Family Association has branched out and now covers a range of Religious Right issues. The group was founded by the Rev. Donald Wildmon, a Methodist minister, and was originally called the National Federation for Decency. It advocated boycotts of companies that advertised on programs it considered salacious. <br /><br />Wildmon has now turned day-to-day operations of the group over to his son, Tim. An AFA staffer, Bryan Fischer, has become notorious for making outrageous statements. Fischer calls church-state separation a “myth” and an invention of Adolf Hitler. He believes that the First Amendment protects only Christians and members of other faiths receive religious liberty as a courtesy. The AFA is stridently anti-gay and is the leading group promoting the Religious Right’s phony claim of a “war on Christmas.” It continues to boycott companies that refuse to buckle under to its demands.<br /><br />The AFA has underwritten a series of “pastor policy briefings” in Iowa, California, Texas and other states intended to organize fundamentalist churches into a potent political machine.<br /><br />The group says it owns and operates nearly 200 radio stations across the country.<br /><br /><strong>Alliance Defense Fund</strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $30,127,514<br /><strong>Location: </strong>Scottsdale, Ariz.<br /><br />Formed by a group of TV and radio preachers in 1993, the Alliance Defense Fund was conceived as a funding pool for organizations that worked in the courts to promote theocratic views and undermine church-state separation. After a few years, the organization began engaging in direct litigation and formed a network of sympathetic attorneys nationwide. <br /><br />ADF President Alan Sears says there is no such thing as church-state separation in the Constitution and that the bricks in the church-state wall are being removed “one by one.” The organization attacks public education and opposes legal abortion and gay rights. <br /><br />Outside of court, the ADF has worked to lure evangelical churches into a vast right-wing political machine. It sponsors “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” a ploy to openly defy federal tax law by encouraging pastors to endorse or oppose candidates from the pulpit. (While the ADF claims to be nonpartisan, all the project’s participating clergy in 2008 endorsed Republican John McCain or opposed Democrat Barack Obama.)<br /><br /><strong>Focus on the Family</strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $130,258,480<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Colorado Springs, Colo.<br /><br />Focus on the Family was founded by child psychologist James Dobson to advocate for “biblical” solutions to family problems. Although it poses as a family-oriented ministry, the group has always been political. Vociferously opposed to church-state separation and secular government, the massive fundamentalist ministry has a worldwide presence. <br /><br />Dobson, who has since retired from the group, remains an influential radio broadcaster and has authored several books. He still appears on the air daily with his son, Ryan. Dobson frequently attacks church-state separation and once said “The separation of church and state is not in the Constitution.” <br /><br />FOF’s current president is Jim Daly. Although Daly said he wanted to tone down some of the ministry’s harsh attacks on gays and others, much far-right political content remains. FOF has a network of 35 state “family policy councils” that lobby in the state capitals. <br /><br /><strong>Southern Baptist Convention Ethics &amp; Religious Liberty Commission</strong><br /><strong>Budget: </strong>$3,236,000<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Nashville, Tenn., and Washington, D.C. <br /><br />The lobbying arm of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, takes stands virtually identical to the Religious Right. Southern Baptists claim 16 million members. The SBC’s government action office presses for school-sponsored religion, tax aid to religious schools, reductions in gay rights, limits on legal abortion and other far-right social issues. Commission President Richard Land has stated, “When we convince a majority of Americans that we are right, that’s not called a theocracy, that’s called the democratic process.”<br /><br />Although many Baptists have historically supported church-state separation, the SBC in the early 1980s became the target of a takeover by Religious Right-style fundamentalists. Once in power, this bloc began endorsing various proposals to merge church and state (such as a school prayer amendment to the Constitution). Land works hand in glove with Religious Right organizations to promote a theocratic agenda. Despite the denomination’s tax-exempt status, he openly meddles in Republican Party politics. <br /><br /><strong>Traditional Values Coalition</strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $9,888,233<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Anaheim, Calif.<br /><br />Founded originally to work on “culture war” issues in California, the Traditional Values Coalition eventually expanded to become a national organization. Known for its gay bashing and attacks on Islam, TVC claims to work with 43,000 churches nationwide. The group was founded by the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, who once said, “A dangerous Marxist/Leftist/Homosexual/Islamic coalition has formed – and we’d better be willing to fight it with everything in our power.” <br /><br />In 2000, Sheldon accepted money from gambling interests connected to lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Sheldon, whom one lobbyist referred to as “Lucky Louie,” told Religious Right activists he was blocking the spread of legalized gambling, although the lobbying firm he was working for was actually trying to spread internet-based gambling.<br /><br />Sheldon’s daughter, Andrea Lafferty, serves as TVC executive director. She is as partisan and as shrill as her father. When Democratic Party officials announced that U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) would become party chair, Lafferty pounced.<br /><br />“Way to go DNC,” Lafferty snarled in a press release. “You found the candidate who best fit your profile for DNC Chairman: a junkyard dog who is mean, nasty, shrill, able to screech at a moment’s notice, aggressive, and of course able to manipulate the facts and always uncompromising.” <br /><br /><strong>Coral Ridge Ministries</strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $17,263,536<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.<br /><br />Coral Ridge Ministries was founded by D. James Kennedy, a TV preacher who died in 2007. Stridently fundamentalist and far-right on the political spectrum, Kennedy insisted that separation of church and state is not in the Constitution and was known for his attacks on evolution. <br /><br />Coral Ridge also produced a number of books, DVDs and pamphlets attacking church-state separation. It was known for insisting that America was founded to be a “Christian nation.” Since Kennedy’s death, the ministry has continued pumping out right-wing political material. Its website looks more like a far-right political site than a portal to a ministry. <br /><br />Today the operation is run by Kennedy’s daughter, Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy. Jerry Newcombe serves as host of Kennedy’s program, “The Coral Ridge Hour.”<br /><br /><strong>Faith &amp; Freedom Coalition </strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> Unavailable <br /><strong>Location:</strong> Duluth, Ga.<br /><br />The Faith &amp; Freedom Coalition is a relatively new Religious Right group founded by Ralph Reed, former executive director of the Christian Coalition. The organization already has developed enough clout to sponsor an Iowa forum for would-be Republican presidential candidates in March of 2011. <br /><br />Reed, who became a political consultant after leaving the Christian Coalition, formed the group after his attempt to launch a political career in Georgia collapsed when his ties to disgraced casino lobbyist Jack Abramoff became an issue and after writing an unsuccessful political thriller called <em>Dark Horse</em>. <br /><br />Although the Coalition is of modest size now, the group is just getting started. Reed’s proven ability to organize the Religious Right faithful and raise money make this an organization to watch.<br /><br />During his time with the Christian Coalition, Reed was known for his intemperate, often violent, imagery. (He once bragged about leaving political opponents in “body bags.”) Time has not mellowed him. During the March forum, Reed discussed the possibility of “replacing the government by force.” <br /><br />The line is apparently part of Reed’s stock speech. He also used it at an earlier gathering of Tea Party activists, telling the crowd, “[W]e have not only the right, but the moral obligation to overthrow that government by force if necessary, and form a new government that will protect our rights.”<br /><br /><strong>WallBuilder Presentations/WallBuilders</strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $1,091,531 (plus proceeds from a for-profit arm)<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Aledo, Texas<br /><br />WallBuilders is an organization founded by David Barton, a Texan who makes his living promoting bogus “Christian nation” history to fundamentalist groups. Barton insists that church-state separation is a myth and was never the intention of the founders. He markets books, DVDs and other materials that promote this view and speaks in fundamentalist churches and other venues.<br /><br />Barton helped rewrite Texas’ social studies standards, which downplay church-state separation and elevate the “Christian nation” view. Barton does not have a degree in history (his degree, from Oral Roberts University, is in Christian Education), but he poses as a historian. <br /><br />Despite his lack of legitimate academic credentials, Barton’s profile has increased recently due to a number of appearances he made on the Glenn Beck program on Fox News Channel. Time magazine in 2005 named him one of the top 25 most influential evangelicals in America.<br /><br />Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential aspirant, is a huge Barton fan. Addressing a Religious Right gathering earlier this year, Huckabee opined that all Americans should be forced “at gunpoint…to listen to every David Barton message.”<br /><br />The budget figures for WallBuilder Presentations are somewhat misleading. This organization is a small non-profit Barton runs – but he makes most of his money through a separate organization called simply WallBuilders. This group, which is a for-profit business, is not required to make its financial statements publicly available. <br /><br /><strong>Concerned Women for America</strong><br /><strong>Budget:</strong> $11,772,009<br /><strong>Location:</strong> Washington, D.C.<br /><br />Formed more than 30 years ago to counter the growing women’s rights movement, Concerned Women for America claims to be the largest women’s organization in the country. The organization, founded in 1979 by Tim LaHaye and his wife Beverly, focused originally on opposing passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. <br /><br />When that issue became less prominent, the group began taking on other matters, such as opposing gay rights and legal abortion as well as attacking alleged “secular humanism” in public schools. In 1984, the group sponsored a legal challenge brought by a Tennessee woman who claimed textbooks used in her child’s school promoted humanism. A federal court initially ruled in favor of the woman, but the decision was overturned on appeal. <br /><br />In the 1980s, CWA even branched into international affairs, launching a special project to attack Nicaragua’s Sandinista government. Today, the group focuses mainly on opposing abortion, gay rights and public education, although it often attacks the United Nations and has increasingly engaged in Muslim bashing. <br /><br />Like a lot of Religious Right organizations these days, CWA has been adding fiscal issues to its agenda, demanding that government reduce spending. Its current targets include Planned Parenthood, the National Endowment for the Arts, Public Broadcasting and NPR.<br /><br />Tim LaHaye went on to write a successful series of apocalyptic pot-boilers called “Left Behind” and now lives in semi-retirement with his wife. Although Beverly LaHaye is still listed as CWA’s chair, the group’s president is now Wendy Wright. The organization claims 500,000 members. <br /><br />It sponsors a legislative action committee that is a 501(c)(4) organization and an allied political action committee that in 2010 spent nearly $300,000 endorsing conservative candidates.</p></div></div><a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><h3 >Facts And Figures About The Religious Right In&nbsp;America</h3><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Featured</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-5363" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
<header>
<div class="image">
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="https://au.org/files/styles/cs_cover_thumbnail/public/imports/may-2011-cover-large.jpg?itok=G5EOKMjh" width="75" height="97" alt="" /></div></div></div> </div>
<h2><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">May</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2011</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
</a></h2>
<span class="read-more">
<a href="/church-state">Browse previous issues &raquo;</a>
</span>
</header>
<div class="content">
<div class="frontpage-block frontpage-view-church-state-articles-featured-articles" >
<h3>Featured Articles</h3>
<div class="content">
<div class="view view-church-state-articles view-id-church_state_articles view-display-id-featured_articles view-dom-id-36d8ac6ebe6294c84df10589810f9e08">
<div class="view-content">
<div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/featured/religious-right-rebound">Religious Right Rebound</a></h3>
<h4>Three Years After Being Pronounced ‘Dead’ By Many Pundits, Fundamentalist Political Groups Are Riding High In Washington And Many State Legislatures</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/featured/speaker%E2%80%99s-pet">Speaker’s Pet</a></h3>
<h4>As Part Of A Budget Deal With Democrats, Boehner Engineers Taxpayer Subsidies For D.C. Religious Schools</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/featured/the-billionaire-boys-club">The Billionaire Boys Club</a></h3>
<h4>Facts And Figures About The Religious Right In America</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/featured/access-denied">Access Denied</a></h3>
<h4>Supreme Court Slams The Courthouse Door On Taxpayers’ Right To Challenge Tax Credits For Religious Schools</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd views-row-last">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/featured/school-voucher-vote">School Voucher Vote</a></h3>
<h4></h4> </div>
</div>
</div> </div>
</div><div class="lower clearfix"><div class="frontpage-block frontpage-view-church-state-articles-all-articles" >
<div class="content">
<div class="view view-church-state-articles view-id-church_state_articles view-display-id-all_articles view-dom-id-8f760cd9a28e436488789ff62ffe9cb1">
<div class="view-content">
<div class="cs-department" id="section-people--events"> <h3>People &amp; Events</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/people-events/au-aclu-investigate-possible-bias-over-concerts-at">AU, ACLU Investigate Possible Bias Over Concerts At Fort Bragg </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/people-events/european-high-court-approves-crucifixes-in-public">European High Court Approves Crucifixes In Public Schools</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/people-events/americans-united-criticizes-congressional-vote-in">Americans United Criticizes Congressional Vote In Favor Of Religious Motto </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/people-events/lawsuit-challenging-religious-activity-at-calif">Lawsuit Challenging Religious Activity At Calif. Community College Reaches Settlement</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/people-events/states-consider-voucher-subsidies-while-slashing">States Consider Voucher Subsidies While Slashing Public Education Funding</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-au-bulletin"> <h3>AU Bulletin</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/au-bulletin/supreme-court-takes-religious-school-teacher-dispute">Supreme Court Takes Religious-School Teacher Dispute </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/au-bulletin/au-protests-sectarian-prayers-at-minnesota-senate">AU Protests Sectarian Prayers At Minnesota Senate</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/au-bulletin/arkansas-senate-derails-bible-class-bill">Arkansas Senate Derails Bible Class Bill</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/au-bulletin/missouri-house-passes-religion-amendment">Missouri House Passes Religion Amendment</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/au-bulletin/kansas-governor-pushes-for-%E2%80%98faith-based%E2%80%99-partnerships">Kansas Governor Pushes For ‘Faith-Based’ Partnerships</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/au-bulletin/texas-judge-backs-off-bible-study-scheme">Texas Judge Backs Off Bible Study Scheme</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/au-bulletin/ny-rabbinical-students-to-get-state-aid">N.Y. Rabbinical Students To Get State Aid</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/au-bulletin/catholic-church-may-lose-control-of-irish-schools">Catholic Church May Lose Control Of Irish Schools</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-editorial"> <h3>Editorial</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/editorial/religious-freedom">Religious Freedom</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/editorial/edwin-gaustad">Edwin Gaustad</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-viewpoint"> <h3>Viewpoint</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/viewpoint/conversion-story">Conversion Story </a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-perspective"> <h3>Perspective</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2011-church-state/perspective/%E2%80%98freedom-to-believe%E2%80%A6or-not%E2%80%99">‘Freedom To Believe…Or Not’ </a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div> </div>
</div> </div>
</div></div> </div> <!-- /.content -->
<footer>
<!-- AddThis Button BEGIN -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
<a class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_tweet"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:size="medium"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_pill_style"></a>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#pubid=americansunited"></script>
<!-- AddThis Button END -->
</footer>
</article> <!-- /.node -->
</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix long-label"><div class="field-label">Religious Right Organization:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/alliance-defending-freedom">Alliance Defending Freedom</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/american-family-association">American Family Association</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/concerned-women-for-america">Concerned Women for America</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/faith-and-freedom-coalition">Faith and Freedom Coalition</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/family-research-council">Family Research Council</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/focus-on-the-family">Focus on the Family</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/jerry-falwell-ministries">Jerry Falwell Ministries</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/liberty-counsel">Liberty Counsel</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/liberty-university">Liberty University</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/regent-university">Regent University</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/southern-baptist-convention">Southern Baptist Convention</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/traditional-values-coalition">Traditional Values Coalition</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/wallbuilders">Wallbuilders</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix long-label"><div class="field-label">Religious Right People:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/alan-sears">Alan Sears</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/beverly-lahaye">Beverly LaHaye</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/d-james-kennedy">D. James Kennedy</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/david-barton">David Barton</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/jay-sekulow">Jay Sekulow</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/jerry-falwell-jr">Jerry Falwell Jr</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/pat-robertson">Pat Robertson</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/ralph-reed">Ralph Reed</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/richard-land">Richard Land</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/tim-lahaye">Tim LaHaye</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/tony-perkins">Tony Perkins</a></span></div></div>Sun, 01 May 2011 04:00:00 +0000Americans United5138 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/may-2011-church-state/featured/the-billionaire-boys-club#commentsStaver’s Raving: Liberty U. Law Dean Goes On A Tear About AUhttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/staver%E2%80%99s-raving-liberty-u-law-dean-goes-on-a-tear-about-au
<a href="/about/people/joseph-l-conn">Joseph L. Conn</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Staver is dean of an accredited law school, and yet he feels perfectly free to maliciously slander Americans United and spread a grossly inaccurate take about America’s governing document.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Is Americans United “out to literally destroy America”?</p>
<p>Mat Staver says so.</p>
<p>In an<a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=1277108"> interview last week</a>, Staver, dean of Liberty University’s School of Law, went on a tear about AU’s <a href="http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/archives/2011/01/au-files-lawsuit-challenging.html">lawsuit</a> addressing a Ten Commandments display in Johnson County, Tenn.</p>
<p>AU and plaintiff Ralph Stewart are challenging the Johnson County Commission’s decision to display the Ten Commandments and Christian literature in the courthouse lobby while refusing to allow citizens to display posters about the historic role of church-state separation in American law.</p>
<p>Staver is unhappy with AU’s lawsuit.</p>
<p>"This is something that they are intent on doing across the country," he told One News Now, a right-wing news service. "They're out to literally destroy America; they're out to erase our religious heritage and religious symbols from every area of life."</p>
<p>Not content with that intemperate outburst, the Falwell empire lawyer blasted Ralph Stewart for wanting to post accurate church-state information related to the history of law in America.</p>
<p>Said Staver, “"This individual wants to put up false information, essentially saying that separation of church and state is required or part of the Constitution, which we know it's not.”</p>
<p>Think about it. Staver is dean of an accredited law school, and yet he feels perfectly free to maliciously slander Americans United and spread a grossly inaccurate take about America’s governing document.</p>
<p>Sorry, Mat, you’re incredibly far off-base here.</p>
<p>Americans United most certainly does not want to “destroy America.” On the contrary, we’re trying to preserve fundamental constitutional principles that make America great. We insist that government officials respect and enforce the First Amendment’s separation of religion and government. We do so, not out of hostility toward religion, but out of respect for the diversity that makes the United States so strong.</p>
<p>AU is not out to “erase our religious heritage” or remove religious symbols “from every area of life.” Religious individuals and religious organizations are perfectly free to celebrate their heritage and post religious symbols in a broad array of venues. We ask only that they not commandeer public land and buildings and send the message that one faith has governmental preference.</p>
<p>And, Mat, church-state separation really is mandated by the Constitution. The Founders <a href="http://www.au.org/resources/history/">said so</a>, and the Supreme Court -- dating back at least <a href="http://supreme.justia.com/us/98/145/case.html">to 1878</a> – has reaffirmed that wholesome principle again and again.</p>
<p>There’s been a lot of talk lately about restoring civility to America’s public dialogue about contentious issues. Maybe it’s time for Mat Staver to get the memo.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/fighting-religious-right">Fighting the Religious Right</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-mottos-pledges-and-resolutions">Religious Mottos, Pledges and Resolutions</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/mat-staver">Mat Staver</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/separation-church-and-state">Separation of Church and State</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ten-commandments">ten commandments</a></span></div></div>Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:08:13 +0000Joseph L. Conn1628 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/staver%E2%80%99s-raving-liberty-u-law-dean-goes-on-a-tear-about-au#commentsRutherford Road Trip: An Interesting Conversation With Interns, Ex-Theocrats and Even Two Liberty U. Studentshttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/rutherford-road-trip-an-interesting-conversation-with-interns-ex-theocrats
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The Religious Right seems to believe that if we enforce church-state separation, it will lessen the influence of religion.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>If someone had told me 20 years ago that I would one day be giving a lecture at the Rutherford Institute (TRI), I would have scoffed.</p>
<p>“The Rutherford Institute!” I probably would have snorted. “They don’t support church-state separation! Why would I want to talk to them?”</p>
<p>Yet there I was yesterday in Charlottesville, Va., talking to a crowd of Rutherford interns and residents of the community (including three Americans United members). In fact, this was the third summer running that I’ve spoken at TRI.</p>
<p>A lot has changed since 1990. John W. Whitehead, founder of the Institute, has moved away from the Religious Right and now <a href="http://www.au.org/media/church-and-state/archives/2008/03/religious-right.html">openly criticizes</a> its leaders. While Whitehead and Americans United don’t see eye to eye on some church-state issues, he’s definitely no fan of efforts by fundamentalist Christians to “take over” government and impose their narrow moral vision.</p>
<p>In addition, TRI these days is doing lots of other things, including defending unpopular forms of free speech.</p>
<p>Whitehead told me an interesting story: After he made some comments in the conservative Christian media criticizing the Religious Right for gay bashing, stridently anti-gay minister Fred Phelps’ church sent him a message saying their members planned to picket outside TRI’s office.</p>
<p>Whitehead replied that the church was welcome to do so, offered to provide snacks and told Phelps that if the police bothered the protestors, TRI would defend them in court. The Phelps clan never showed up.</p>
<p>Whitehead hires a big group of interns every summer, but he doesn’t subject them to any type of political or religious litmus test. He sets them up in shared offices and lets them hash out their views while they work. A parade of speakers comes to kick around ideas and take questions. It must make for an interesting summer.</p>
<p>Among the crowd yesterday were two Liberty University students. They were unfailingly polite but had sharp disagreements with what I had to say. With great passion, one of them expressed her opinion that church-state separation leads to a loss of national morality. She quoted George Washington to buttress her view that religion is necessary for morality.</p>
<p>I hear this often from supporters of the Religious Right. Their concern is that if we enforce church-state separation, it will lessen the influence of religion. If religion loses power, a corrosive secularism will take hold and people will adopt the view that “anything goes.”</p>
<p>There are several problems with the argument.</p>
<p>First off, church-state separation doesn’t lessen the influence of religion. Separation creates a platform on which religious liberty rests. People are free to engage in the religion of their choice or ignore them all.</p>
<p>Church-state separation simply mandates that the government be neutral on questions of theology; it does not call for hostility toward faith. The great flowering of religious freedom – and the diversity of sects we have seen here – are evidence that our government is anything but hostile to religion.</p>
<p>Secondly, it should be pretty clear by now that non-religious people can be good, ethical and decent and that religion is no guarantee of moral behavior. I pointed out to the young woman that many European nations, which are much more secular than the United States and where interest in organized religion has fallen, have lower crimes rates and stronger safety nets than our country.</p>
<p>Religion, I replied, can inspire people to do great things. It can also lead some to start wars and engage in violence. At the same time, secular ideologies like Communism and Nazism spawned horrible crimes. Blind, unquestioning adherence to any ideology, whether religious or secular, is the problem.</p>
<p>The other Liberty student also asked a number of thoughtful questions, including a query about why AU <a href="http://www.au.org/media/church-and-state/archives/2010/04/big-brother.html">keeps going after</a> his university’s tax-exempt status. This gave us an opportunity to get into the issue of religion and politics.</p>
<p>I’m sure I didn’t change the minds of those Liberty students. But perhaps the exposure to a range of ideas and the water cooler debates they’ll undoubtedly take part in this summer at the Rutherford Institute will plant a few seeds. You never can tell what may grow from those.</p>
<p>Who knows? Twenty years from now they may be agreeing with John Whitehead that the Religious Right has it all wrong.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.au.org/media/church-and-state/archives/2008/03/religious-right.html"><br /></a></p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/fighting-religious-right">Fighting the Religious Right</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/inside-au">Inside AU</a></span></div></div>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:22:06 +0000Rob Boston2099 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/rutherford-road-trip-an-interesting-conversation-with-interns-ex-theocrats#commentsPro-Falwell Slate Fares Poorly In Lynchburg Municipal Electionshttps://au.org/church-state/june-2010-church-state/people-events/pro-falwell-slate-fares-poorly-in-lynchburg
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>A slate of candidates aligned with Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. fared poorly during May 4 municipal elections, with two of three political hopefuls going down to defeat.</p>
<p>In addition, a Liberty University student who ran for a spot on the city council came in last.</p>
<p>The Lynchburg <em>News &amp; Advance</em> reported that the results essentially maintain the status quo on the city council.</p>
<p>“City voters collectively split the ticket on their ballots, picking one candidate from the Republican slate and two independent candidates endorsed by groups such as Lynchburg First and the Lynchburg Democratic Committee,” reported the newspaper.</p>
<p>Falwell had hoped to stack the council with candidates who would do his bidding. He hopes to expand Liberty University and is angry that the current council will not grant him an unfettered right to grow as he sees fit by lifting zoning requirements.</p>
<p>Three candidates aligned with Falwell – Hunsdon Cary, Ted Hannon and Don Good – ran for council, seeking at-large seats. Only Cary won. </p>
<p>In addition, Lynchburg Mayor Joan Foster, who has tangled with Falwell in the past, was reelected; Brent Robertson, a Liberty student who ran for the council, came in last place.</p>
<p>Falwell began vowing to intervene in Lynchburg elections last November and hoped to mobilize Liberty University students to put his candidates over the top. At the time, Falwell was fresh from a political victory. During elections for House of Delegates, Liberty students voted heavily, unseating incumbent Democrat Shannon Valentine. </p>
<p>Valentine had been leading the race until returns from the precinct where LU students vote came in, when she fell behind to Scott Garrett, who ended up winning the race by about 200 votes. Liberty used a university-owned student newspaper to attack Valentine and promote Garrett; AU reported the matter to the IRS. (See “Big Brother?,” April 2010 <em>Church &amp; State</em>.)</p>
<p>Falwell took the credit for Garrett’s win and vowed to use Liberty’s ballot-box clout to influence city elections as well.</p>
<p>But Falwell’s machinations sparked concern among many city residents. On April 30, Elliot Schewel, a former state senator who represented the area from 1976-1995, wrote a column for the <em>News &amp; Advance</em> warning about Falwell’s manipulation of LU students to achieve his goals. </p>
<p>Schewel pointed out that Falwell doesn’t even live in the city. He also scored Falwell for unethical behavior. He noted that Falwell had secretly videotaped a meeting with Mayor Foster and refused to admit that his actions had been out of line. Schewel warned that the Liberty chancellor seeks to be “chancellor of Lynchburg as well.”</p></div></div><h3 ></h3><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">People &amp; Events</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-5353" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
<header>
<div class="image">
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="https://au.org/files/styles/cs_cover_thumbnail/public/imports/june-2010-cover-large.jpg?itok=7hsEVBDe" width="75" height="97" /></div></div></div> </div>
<h2><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">June</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2010</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
</a></h2>
<span class="read-more">
<a href="/church-state">Browse previous issues &raquo;</a>
</span>
</header>
<div class="content">
<div class="frontpage-block frontpage-view-church-state-articles-featured-articles" >
<h3>Featured Articles</h3>
<div class="content">
<div class="view view-church-state-articles view-id-church_state_articles view-display-id-featured_articles view-dom-id-4e9af1d40ead76dbf0c2dd9f653c378e">
<div class="view-content">
<div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/featured/cross-loss">Cross Loss?</a></h3>
<h4>Fractious Justices Send Mojave Cross Case Back To Lower Court, But Church-State Separationists See Trouble Ahead</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/featured/bluegrass-boondoggle-booted">Bluegrass Boondoggle Booted</a></h3>
<h4>Kentucky Supreme Court Unanimously Bars Millions In Taxpayer Aid To Baptist University</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/featured/misbegotten-outrage">Misbegotten Outrage</a></h3>
<h4>National Prayer Day Proponents Escalate Propaganda War Based On Crabbed Reading Of Court Decision</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even views-row-last">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/featured/kagan-kerfuffle">Kagan Kerfuffle</a></h3>
<h4>Supreme Court Nominee Has Slim Record On Social Issues, But Religious Right Has Opened Fire On Her Any Way</h4> </div>
</div>
</div> </div>
</div><div class="lower clearfix"><div class="frontpage-block frontpage-view-church-state-articles-all-articles" >
<div class="content">
<div class="view view-church-state-articles view-id-church_state_articles view-display-id-all_articles view-dom-id-e345e2215d719fe5ca13c4f151f48f33">
<div class="view-content">
<div class="cs-department" id="section-people--events"> <h3>People &amp; Events</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/people-events/%E2%80%98may-day%E2%80%99-prayer-rally%E2%80%99s-radical-flavor-brings">‘May Day’ Prayer Rally’s Radical Flavor Brings Small Crowd, Big Criticism</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/people-events/iowa-religious-right-group-awarded-3-million-in-">Iowa Religious Right Group Awarded $3 Million In ‘Faith-Based’ Funds</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/people-events/sectarian-prayers-ok-for-police-chaplains-virginia">Sectarian Prayers OK For Police Chaplains, Virginia Governor Says</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/people-events/fof-founder-dobson-returns-to-radio-with-shrill">FOF Founder Dobson Returns To Radio With Shrill New Program</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/people-events/pro-falwell-slate-fares-poorly-in-lynchburg">Pro-Falwell Slate Fares Poorly In Lynchburg Municipal Elections</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/people-events/au-asks-irs-to-probe-indiana-church-for">AU Asks IRS To Probe Indiana Church For Electioneering</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/people-events/americans-united-aclu-challenge-graduation-at">Americans United, ACLU Challenge Graduation At Connecticut Church</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/people-events/au-urges-obama-administration-to-probe-ten">AU Urges Obama Administration To Probe Ten Religion Earmarks</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-9 views-row-odd views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/people-events/au%E2%80%99s-lynn-challenges-sarah-palin-remarks-on">AU’s Lynn Challenges Sarah Palin Remarks On Religion And Government</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-au-bulletin"> <h3>AU Bulletin</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/evangelist-graham-bumped-from-pentagon-event">Evangelist Graham Bumped From Pentagon Event</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/indiana-judge-rules-against-prayer-at-graduation">Indiana Judge Rules Against Prayer At Graduation</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/school-voucher-bill-derailed-in-illinois-house">School Voucher Bill Derailed In Illinois House</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/tennessee-ag-says-no-to-%E2%80%98jesus-is-lord%E2%80%99-license">Tennessee AG Says No To ‘Jesus Is Lord’ License Plates</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/aid-to-religion-referendum-fails-in-florida">Aid-To-Religion Referendum Fails In Florida Legislature</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/scripture-classes-lose-out-to-ethics-in-australia">Scripture Classes Lose Out To Ethics In Australia</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-editorial"> <h3>Editorial</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/editorial/memo-to-religious-right">Memo To Religious Right</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/editorial/judging-a-supreme-court-nominee">Judging A Supreme Court Nominee</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department"> <ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/la-sheriff%E2%80%99s-office-reluctantly-protects-pagan-festival">La. Sheriff’s Office Reluctantly Protects Pagan Festival</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-perspective"> <h3>Perspective</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/june-2010-church-state/perspective/why-a-liberal-defense-of-church-state-separation-is">Why A Liberal Defense Of Church-State Separation Is Really Conservative</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div> </div>
</div> </div>
</div></div> </div> <!-- /.content -->
<footer>
<!-- AddThis Button BEGIN -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
<a class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_tweet"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:size="medium"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_pill_style"></a>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#pubid=americansunited"></script>
<!-- AddThis Button END -->
</footer>
</article> <!-- /.node -->
</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix long-label"><div class="field-label">Religious Right Organization:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/liberty-university">Liberty University</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix long-label"><div class="field-label">Religious Right People:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/jerry-falwell-jr">Jerry Falwell Jr</a></span></div></div>Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0000Americans United4908 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/june-2010-church-state/people-events/pro-falwell-slate-fares-poorly-in-lynchburg#commentsFaith-Based Fibber?: Liberty U. Seminary President Accused Of Fabricating Life Storyhttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/faith-based-fibber-liberty-u-seminary-president-accused-of-fabricating-life
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ergun Caner’s life story is compelling, but it turns out there may be some problems with it – like, it may not be true.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The last time we heard from Ergun Caner, the president of Liberty University’s seminary, he was riding around his Lynchburg, Va., campus on Election Day in a truck (accompanied by a GOP elephant made out of chicken wire) urging students to vote for Republican candidates.</p>
<p>Americans United asserted that Caner’s overt electioneering was just another example of the fundamentalist school’s determination to push candidates favored by Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr., despite a federal law that forbids tax-exempt religious institutions from intervening in partisan politics.</p>
<p>Now Caner is back in the news – and once again it’s not in a good way.</p>
<p>Caner has made a name for himself by highlighting his unusual life story: He says he was born into a stridently Muslim family in Turkey, where he learned to hate America and Christians. As Caner tells it, he flirted with jihad before undergoing a life-changing conversion to fundamentalist Christianity. He then persuaded most of his family to convert as well, and they now spread the gospel.</p>
<p>It’s a compelling story, and Caner tells it well. I heard him address last year’s “Values Voter Summit” sponsored by the Family Research Council. Even though I didn’t agree with Caner’s Religious Right perspective, I had to admit that he was a funny and engaging speaker.</p>
<p>But now it turns out there may be some problems with Caner’s life story – like, it may not be true.</p>
<p>The Lynchburg <em>News &amp; Advance</em> <a href="http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/lu_officials_to_investigate_caners_background_claims/26872/">reported two days ago</a> that Liberty officials have launched an investigation. The school was forced to act after criticism about Caner, which had circulated on the web mostly through blogs, bubbled up to the print media.</p>
<p>“In light of the fact that several newspapers have raised questions, we felt it necessary to initiate a formal inquiry,” Falwell said in a statement posted on LU’s Web site.</p>
<p>Both Christian and Muslim bloggers have criticized Caner. Caner poses as an expert on Islam and in 2002 wrote a book with his brother titled <em>Unveiling Islam: An Insider's Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs</em>, but it’s unclear if he ever even belonged to that religion.</p>
<p>Despite his claims about having lived in Turkey, <a href="http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/5134/53/">it now appears</a> that Caner was born in Sweden and moved to Ohio when he was 4 years old. His father was a Muslim, but his mother was Lutheran. The couple divorced, and Caner’s mother retained custody. He became an evangelical Christian as a teen; it’s unlike he was ever recruited by jihadists.</p>
<p>Caner is also accused of claiming that he has debated a Muslim scholar named Shabir Ally. While Ally frequently engages in debates, he says he has never debated Caner. Some Muslim bloggers have blasted Caner for his ignorance of that faith, saying his real goal is to attack the religion and proselytize for his own version of Christianity.</p>
<p>AlterNet ran a <a href="http://www.alternet.org/immigration/146797/christian_right%27s_favorite_muslim_convert_exposed_as_jihadi_fraud">lengthy examination</a> of Caner’s claims and the evidence against him. It’s worth a look.</p>
<p>Liberty officials say they hope to have the investigation completed by the end of next month. It’s not my job to offer Caner unsolicited advice, but if he needs a defense he might just say he was simply following the example of Liberty’s founder. Jerry Falwell Sr. was well known for his ability to, let us politely say, “stretch the truth.”</p>
<p>One of my favorite incidents involved a rather extreme book Falwell wrote in 1979 titled <em>America</em><em> Can Be Saved!</em> When I confronted him on the Fox News Channel in April of 1998 and quoted some of the radical material in the book, Falwell simply denied he had ever written it!</p>
<p>I don’t what the outcome of the Caner investigation will be, but I do know this: If it turns out Caner falsified his story, he won’t be the only fibber ever to have graced the grounds of Liberty University.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/fighting-religious-right">Fighting the Religious Right</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ergun-caner">Ergun Caner</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/jerry-falwell-jr">Jerry Falwell Jr</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/jerry-falwell-sr">Jerry Falwell Sr.</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/liberty-university">Liberty University</a></span></div></div>Thu, 13 May 2010 15:59:20 +0000Rob Boston2081 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/faith-based-fibber-liberty-u-seminary-president-accused-of-fabricating-life#commentsRage Against Falwell’s Political Machine: Liberty Chancellor’s Efforts To Takeover Lynchburg Failhttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/rage-against-falwell%E2%80%99s-political-machine-liberty-chancellor%E2%80%99s-efforts-to
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Jerry Falwell Jr., just like his father, has political goals that reach from local government all the way to the White House.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Jerry Falwell Jr.’s attempts to forge Liberty University students into a dominant political machine and take over the city of Lynchburg (Va.) have been thwarted – for now.</p>
<p>In Lynchburg’s municipal elections yesterday, a slate of candidates closely aligned with Falwell <a href="http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/lu_vote_strong_but_republicans_fail_to_sweep/26717/">fared poorly</a>, and a Liberty University student who ran for a spot on the city council came in last.</p>
<p>Although some new faces are coming on to the council, the Lynchburg <em>News &amp; Advance</em> <a href="http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/breaking_news_815_p.m._foster_nelson_cary_top_three_in_city_vote/26707/">reported</a> that the results essentially maintain the status quo.</p>
<p>“City voters collectively split the ticket on their ballots, picking one candidate from the Republican slate and two independent candidates endorsed by groups such as Lynchburg First and the Lynchburg Democratic Committee,” reported the newspaper.</p>
<p>Falwell had hoped to stack the council with candidates who would do his bidding. He hopes to expand Liberty University and is angry that the current council will not grant him an unfettered right to grow as he sees fit by lifting zoning requirements.</p>
<p>Three candidates aligned with Falwell – Hunsdon Cary, Ted Hannon and Don Good – ran for council, seeking at-large seats. Only Cary won. In addition, Lynchburg Mayor Joan Foster was reelected; Brent Robertson, a Liberty student who ran for the council, came in last place.</p>
<p>Falwell had hoped to use Liberty students to sway the outcome of the election. He has done it before. In November of 2009, Liberty students voted heavily in a race for state delegate, unseating incumbent Democrat Shannon Valentine. (Liberty used a university-owned student newspaper to attack Valentine and promote her opponent, Scott Garrett; AU <a href="http://www.au.org/media/church-and-state/archives/2010/04/big-brother.html">reported the matter</a> to the IRS.)</p>
<p>Valentine had been leading the race until returns from the precinct where LU students vote came in, when she fell behind to Garrett, who ended up winning the race by about 200 votes. Falwell took the credit and vowed to use Liberty’s ballot-box clout to influence city elections as well.</p>
<p>But Falwell’s machinations sparked concern among many city residents. On April 30, Elliot Schewel, a former state senator who represented the area from 1976-1995, wrote a column for the <em>News &amp; Advance</em> <a href="http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/article/community_viewpoint_falwell_aims_to_be_chancellor_of_city_schewel_writes/26604/">warning about Falwell’s manipulation</a> of LU students to achieve his goals and pointing out that Falwell doesn’t even live in the city.</p>
<p>Among other things, Schewel scored Falwell for unethical behavior. He noted that Falwell had <a href="http://blog.au.org/2010/04/01/memo-to-lynchburg-jerry-falwell-jr-is-watching-you-and-secretly-recording-it-all/">secretly videotaped</a> a meeting with Mayor Foster and refused to admit that his actions had been out of line. Schewel warned that the Liberty chancellor seeks to be “chancellor of Lynchburg as well.”</p>
<p>Schewel was especially appalled that Falwell had claimed that both Valentine and Garrett were invited to speak on the Liberty campus. In fact, Valentine had several times requested to speak on campus and was denied.</p>
<p>Falwell responded with <a href="http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/article/community_viewpoint_no_desire_to_run_city_falwell_says/26630/">his own column</a>, insisting that he had invited both Valentine and Garrett to speak on campus and asserting, “I am not endorsing any candidates in the upcoming City Council elections and neither I nor Liberty University have ever tried to tell students for whom they should vote.”</p>
<p>This spurred Valentine to respond. In a <a href="http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/article/letters_to_the_editor_for_monday_may_3_2010/26678/">letter to the newspaper</a>, she flatly accused Falwell of twisting the truth, observing, “I was never invited to speak at Liberty University last fall. In fact, not only was I not invited to speak, my requests to address the Liberty students were repeatedly denied.”</p>
<p>In the wake of the election, Falwell attempted to be nonchalant and pleased with the results. He just wants Liberty students to be involved, he claimed.</p>
<p>Pardon my skepticism. In fact, Falwell, just like his father, has political goals that reach from local government all the way to the White House. In his own back yard, he’d like nothing more than a rubber-stamp council that gives him whatever he wants.</p>
<p>The people of Lynchburg stopped him this time. But I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Falwell’s political machinations.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/fighting-religious-right">Fighting the Religious Right</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/elliot-schewel">Elliot Schewel</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/jerry-falwell-jr">Jerry Falwell Jr</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/liberty-university">Liberty University</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/lynchburg">Lynchburg</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/scott-garrett">Scott Garrett</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/shannon-valentine">Shannon Valentine</a></span></div></div>Wed, 05 May 2010 16:33:54 +0000Rob Boston2078 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/rage-against-falwell%E2%80%99s-political-machine-liberty-chancellor%E2%80%99s-efforts-to#commentsTale Of The Covert Tape: Falwell Secretly Records Meeting With Mayorhttps://au.org/church-state/may-2010-church-state/people-events/tale-of-the-covert-tape-falwell-secretly-records
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. stirred up controversy in Lynchburg in late March after admitting he had secretly videotaped a meeting with local officials.</p>
<p>Falwell arranged a surreptitious recording of a meeting he and other university officials held with Lynchburg Mayor Joan Foster and the city manager, reported the Lynchburg <em>News &amp; Advance</em>. </p>
<p>The newspaper said Falwell signed off on the recording, which was made by concealing a camera behind some books.</p>
<p>Local officials were not pleased.</p>
<p>“It bothers me they taped us without telling us,” Foster said. “I went over there with a huge trust factor and a sincere heart. I’m trying to build our relationship.”</p>
<p>Falwell defended his actions by claiming he was just trying to make sure Lynchburg officials kept promises they had allegedly made to him. Falwell wants to expand Liberty University and has demanded that the council vote to relax zoning requirements so the school can grow. </p>
<p>Falwell claims he was promised that the council would quickly vote 7-0 in his favor on the zoning issue. To make sure, he said, he arranged to have the meeting recorded. </p>
<p>Foster and City Manager Kimball Payne say they made no such promise to Falwell. The videotape was released, but the audio quality is poor and it’s impossible to tell what was said in parts.</p>
<p>Falwell has refused to apologize or admit he was in the wrong.</p>
<p>“So many people are trying to say this was a political maneuver with the timing or that we’re trying to fire a shot over the bow of the council, but that had nothing to do with it,” Falwell said.</p>
<p>Critics are skeptical of that claim. Falwell has been openly boasting about his plan to use LU students to take over Lynchburg’s city council and stack it with candidates who will do what he wants. </p>
<p>In November of 2009, LU students were the deciding factor in a close race for a House of Delegates seat for the Lynchburg area. Due to Falwell’s machinations, incumbent Democrat Shannon Valentine lost her race with Republican Scott Garrett by about 200 votes. (See “Big Brother,” April 2010 <em>Church &amp; State</em>.)</p>
<p>With controversy growing over the covert taping, Falwell called an unusual press conference April 8. He read a statement insisting that the flap over the tape is a “diversion.” He also complained that he is “vilified in the press.”</p>
<p>Falwell then left the room without taking questions.</p></div></div><h3 ></h3><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">People &amp; Events</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-5352" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
<header>
<div class="image">
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="https://au.org/files/styles/cs_cover_thumbnail/public/imports/may-2010-cover-large.jpg?itok=y1x-OAzx" width="75" height="97" /></div></div></div> </div>
<h2><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">May</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2010</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
</a></h2>
<span class="read-more">
<a href="/church-state">Browse previous issues &raquo;</a>
</span>
</header>
<div class="content">
<div class="frontpage-block frontpage-view-church-state-articles-featured-articles" >
<h3>Featured Articles</h3>
<div class="content">
<div class="view view-church-state-articles view-id-church_state_articles view-display-id-featured_articles view-dom-id-dfee2c543f12a5ff4a51e00d01c6e7c8">
<div class="view-content">
<div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/featured/unholy-immunity">Unholy Immunity</a></h3>
<h4>Pope’s Claim To Be head Of State May Help With Legal Defense In Abuse Lawsuits, But It Raises Troubling Church-State Questions</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/featured/nominal-nation">Nominal Nation?</a></h3>
<h4>How A Church Won A Diplomatic Coup By Posing As A State</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/featured/sign-of-the-times">Sign Of The Times</a></h3>
<h4>Florida Congregation Jumps Into Gainesville Mayoral Election As Alliance Defense Fund Gears Up For This Year’s Church Electioneering Drive</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/featured/world-relief-grief">World Relief Grief</a></h3>
<h4>Publicly Funded Ministry’s Christians-Only Hiring Policy Begets Heartache And Harm, As Debate Over Obama Inaction On ‘Faith-Based’ Bias Escalates</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/featured/members-only">Members Only?</a></h3>
<h4>Christian Legal Society’s Desire To Discriminate At California Law School Sparks ‘Culture War’ Clash At Supreme Court</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even views-row-last">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/featured/justice-stevens-strict-separationist">Justice Stevens: Strict Separationist</a></h3>
<h4>Retiring Member Of The High Court Fought To Add Bricks To The Church-State Wall</h4> </div>
</div>
</div> </div>
</div><div class="lower clearfix"><div class="frontpage-block frontpage-view-church-state-articles-all-articles" >
<div class="content">
<div class="view view-church-state-articles view-id-church_state_articles view-display-id-all_articles view-dom-id-f8f01c195d9a18b5a74449e66708f452">
<div class="view-content">
<div class="cs-department" id="section-people--events"> <h3>People &amp; Events</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/people-events/tale-of-the-covert-tape-falwell-secretly-records">Tale Of The Covert Tape: Falwell Secretly Records Meeting With Mayor</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/people-events/focus-on-the-family-affiliates-train-candidates-to">Focus On The Family Affiliates Train Candidates To Run For Office</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/people-events/low-rent-residents-of-%E2%80%98c-street-house%E2%80%99-may-face-tax">Low-Rent Residents Of ‘C Street House’ May Face Tax, Ethics Probes</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/people-events/maryland-gov-bishop-fail-in-major-push-for">Maryland Gov., Bishop Fail In Major Push For Religious School Aid</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/people-events/correction">Correction</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/people-events/historians-protest-as-texas-history-rewrite-heads">Historians Protest As Texas History Rewrite Heads For Final Vote</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/people-events/ex-christian-coalition-head-ralph-reed-resurfaces">Ex-Christian Coalition Head Ralph Reed Resurfaces In Iowa</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/people-events/au-clergy-fight-effort-to-repeal-church-state">AU Clergy Fight Effort To Repeal Church-State Safeguards In Florida</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-au-bulletin"> <h3>AU Bulletin</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/supreme-court-tunes-out-student%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98ave-maria%E2%80%99-lawsuit">Supreme Court Tunes Out Student’s ‘Ave Maria’ Lawsuit</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/federal-court-strikes-down-national-day-of-prayer">Federal Court Strikes Down National Day Of Prayer</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/%E2%80%98hell-is-real%E2%80%99-bill-fails-in-kentucky-legislature">‘Hell Is Real’ Bill Fails In Kentucky Legislature</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/%E2%80%98million-dollar-bill%E2%80%99-tracts-aren%E2%80%99t-illegal-court">‘Million Dollar Bill’ Tracts Aren’t Illegal, Court Rules</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/tennessee-town-turns-down-ministry-funding">Tennessee Town Turns Down Ministry Funding</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/ariz-religious-land-use-bill-too-broad-says-au">Ariz. Religious Land-Use Bill Too Broad, Says AU</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/au-bulletin/ireland-to-vote-on-blasphemy-repeal">Ireland To Vote on Blasphemy Repeal</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department"> <ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/va-legislature-honors-tv-preacher-robertson">Va. Legislature Honors TV Preacher Robertson</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-editorial"> <h3>Editorial</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/editorial/statehood-falsehood">Statehood Falsehood</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/editorial/justice-john-paul-stevens">Justice John Paul Stevens</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-perspective"> <h3>Perspective</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2010-church-state/perspective/a-tale-of-two-cases">A Tale Of Two Cases</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div> </div>
</div> </div>
</div></div> </div> <!-- /.content -->
<footer>
<!-- AddThis Button BEGIN -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
<a class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_tweet"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:size="medium"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_pill_style"></a>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#pubid=americansunited"></script>
<!-- AddThis Button END -->
</footer>
</article> <!-- /.node -->
</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix long-label"><div class="field-label">Religious Right Organization:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/liberty-university">Liberty University</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix long-label"><div class="field-label">Religious Right People:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/resources/religious-right/jerry-falwell-jr">Jerry Falwell Jr</a></span></div></div>Sat, 01 May 2010 04:00:00 +0000Americans United4881 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/may-2010-church-state/people-events/tale-of-the-covert-tape-falwell-secretly-records#comments